1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sorting machine for sorting damaged wooden pallets into different predetermined categories for assisting in the repair of the pallets.
2. Discussion
Wooden pallets are commonly used to transport materials and generally comprise at least two, usually three, horizontal bearers having a number of cross-boards fixed on opposite edges thereof. The pallets are reusable and, over time, sustain damage necessitating repair. The types of repair required by such damaged pallets can be assigned to different categories in order to streamline the repair process.
Typically, the repair of wooden pallets is carried out by first inspecting each pallet for the type of repair required and delivering it to a repair workstation dedicated to a particular type of repair. To date, the task of inspecting the pallets has been carried out using, for example, a forklift truck to lift individual pallets so that all sides and the top and bottom of the pallet can be viewed and a decision made as to what type of repair(s) is/are required. This is a slow and laborious task and seriously limits the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of repairing the pallets.
It would be desirable to provide a semi-automated system where an operator is only required to inspect the pallet as it is being manipulated by an automated machine. The problem in providing such a machine is that the damaged pallets are often difficult to handle due to the various types of damage they have sustained and for this reason it has been thought that a machine could not be used. It has also been doubted whether a machine could handle the pallets sufficiently quickly with known standard lifting/handling mechanisms to allow the operator to inspect all sides of the pallet in a time efficient manner.